Match Preview: Valencia vs Arsenal (and Friday Round Up)

It’s Friday and there is a big weekend of football ahead of us, with the Valencia vs Arsenal game tomorrow night. The game should be the first game back for Theo Walcott and for Kieran Gibbs, so we’ll be able to see them both in competitive action. News on the grapevine is that Arsene wants to carry on with the 4-4-3 formation that he’s been playing pre-season and admits he does like it.

The Gibbs return is intresting because we’ve seen more of Traore and Silvestre at left back this pre-season and then of course we have the resident left back in Gael Clichy. At one point, with all the interest around Traore, I thought Arsene was going to let him out on loan again, but I think Arsene is waiting for the end of the transfer window, because if we did bring in another central defender, like maybe Hangeland (more on that later) then we could look at loaning out Traore.

Alex McLeish of Birmingham said:

“I’ve had a response from Arsene and it is not positive because he is going to keep Traore in the meantime and won’t make a decision on him until the end of the transfer window.”

Whilst Arsene himself talked for pretty much the first time about the potential signing saying:

“We had a look at him, but we have not contacted Fulham, have not contacted Hangeland and have not made our choice on him or anybody else.”

Whilst also commenting on the departure of Senderos:

“At the moment there’s an interest from Everton [in Senderos] but he is still our player. He has an opportunity to go because he has one year to go on his contract. We will see what happens in the next week. If he goes, and if there is an opportunity, then we will look. But we still have Silvestre, Gallas, Djourou, Vermaelen and Song. That’s five centre backs.”

The key phrases to pick up here are when Arsene says that “if he goes, if there is an opportunity, then we will look”. Sounds like it may be one in and one out in terms of Senderos and Hangeland, but I understand that there is a lot to do in both transfers before anything becomes certain. At least from a fans point of view it looks like Arsene is being active(ish) in the transfer market. Arsene recently saying that there was a plan to purchase one or two players. And I do think we’re looking at Chamakh, maybe Vieira and maybe Matuidi – on Vieira, Arsene’s concluded that we’re not near anything, and I do wonder whether it will happen, will it say to the world “my youth project has failed” and does Arsene even think like that?

“Not at the moment, no. We can still make do with one or two players more. One could be in the defensive areas, and one in the attacking areas.”

And the attacking area will be none other than Chamakh. You have the feeling that it will happen eventually this summer. Arsene is ready to play the waiting game, as he’s already taking about the last 5 days of the transfer window (which may be extended until the 1st of September as the 31st is a bank holiday).

“Usually the transfer market speeds up from August 26 up to midnight on 31st – especially in the last two hours.”

He went onto talk about Chamakh saying:

” The fee asked is too high. The player is under contract, so Bordeaux are making the decision. They can ask whatever fee they want. Will I abandon that trail? I don’t know. I will give myself a few days to think about it. He is an excellent player that works for his team and makes the other players good. They are the kind of qualities that we like.”

So, in summary, the transfer window is still open, we’ve got until the 1st of September to register players for the Champions League too, so as long as they haven’t featured already in European competition, they should be okay – Hangeland has played for Fulham, so he wouldn’t be legible. Matuidi and Chamakh would both be. As far as I am aware, neither Kolo Toure or Adebayor were registered for the qualifying round, and with most of our squad so young, adding three further players wouldn’t be a problem.

Really like the blogs…Always agree with them. I hope we sell Haangleland…Great height on him and reads the game well…Honestly him and Gallas together will be as good as Vidic and Ferdinand

Jimmy

I agree with Marc him Hangeland and Gallas would both make a great partnership.

yemi

nice one again dev. As arsenal fans, i think we should learn how to play the waiting game when it comes to transfers.

Leeroy.N

If we bought Hangeland in now. When would we be able to register him for Europe again?? Either way, if it’s not til January who cares.. just get him in!! HAHA!

Gooner Til I Die!

VJ

i hope things pick uup soon the season is starting dangerously soon and with three tough matches at the start we need to sign people quickly, Hangeland, chamakh, and a DM is all we need for glory

yemi

@ VJ: i agree with u all the way

Berth

VJ you think that is all we need!!! We also need to be well disciplined as a defence unit and for Wenger not to make those ridiculous team selection; remember Arshavin and Song not playing against chelsea; FA cup. Wenger really needs to learn how to make reasonable bold decisions and not useless ones.

Berth

To add to the my initial blog; am a strong believer that every team should have an identity – I mean characters in the team that personifies the manager; in those good old days we had Thierry, Viera; they reflected Wenger and his symbol of success, Man u – had Ronaldo and still have Rooney, Vidic and Ferdinand; Chelsea under Mourinho had Lamp, drogba and Terry. The question I put to my fellow WOA members is who can we count as a reflection of the manager or his symbol of success. Most people will say Fab and Arshavin; but honestly, no one.

VJ

I guess we have to wait till the season really gets underway to see if we either get success with a trophy or another bad year

Gooner til i die

Just suggest one decent player. Anyone heard of Breno? I think he is quite good….

http://www.wedontknowfootball.com/ wllmhll

breno is actually a good suggestion, havent heard that name in awhile though.

Leeroy.N

I’m all for a team have an identity or a player that represents the teams identity. But knowing our luck, we would follow the trend of Liverppol and then having a player who means so much to the squad as well as the fanbase, results tend to be decided on if that player is on the pitch and/or if he plays well. In the good sense, so many times Liverpool we helped out because of Gerrard. He runs through the heart of that club. If he is off, the result is off, if he turns up, the undoubtly win. I personally would prefer to have a whole team of personalities that will decide the outcome of a game. Rarely have we lost or ended up drawing a game because of one single player (rarely, not never). We talk alot about buying in these players, CF, DM and CB, which is good and needed. But like BERTH said and I have said before, if we don’t cut out falling asleep at the back, concentration lapses, not picking up players who are free, giving away sloppy free kicks in dangerous areas, playing the off-side trap, but not chasing the ball JUST incase it doesnt go our way etc.. It will be pointless spending any money at all, if we end up making the same mistakes, we would be spending the money in vain. Lets clean up the act and prove everyone what we are capable of.. new players and/or old. Come on you Gunners!

i think wenger’s philosophy is genious but he should consider buying in time so that players ger used to the game style and cordination.

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